


West Corner

by robertstanion



Series: PEIPHQ Shenanigans [24]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Father Figure, Fluff, M/M, Near Death Experience, injuries, it's very john and lou centred, my ocs are back babey, the jeip makes a comeback
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25056121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: John McNamara takes his mentee out on her first mission, which results on her getting hurt. They both discover something about each other during that time.
Relationships: John McNamara & Lou Hartford (oc), Xander Lee/John McNamara
Series: PEIPHQ Shenanigans [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764349
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	West Corner

**Author's Note:**

> So, disclaimer, first of all, there is mentions of death and overdose and neglect (?) i can't remember that last one. secondly, mild sexual content in the first scene, but it's just xander trying to turn john on, third, plz be respectful in the comments section plz and thank you. 
> 
> this is a father-daughter fic centred around Genny J Mac and my oc Lou Hartford. You will see Lou's backstory alongside Benny's at a later date. but until now, enjoy.

His body slammed against the wall, his hands gripping his husband’s jacket, balling it in his fists. Another set of hands were placed on his hips, pushing him into the wall. The kiss deepened again, and he shut his eyes, relaxing into his husband’s touch. He hummed as he pulled away, the taller man’s lips attaching to his neck. He sighed at the feeling, letting go of his jacket. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said simply, and felt his husband smile.

“You’re right, we shouldn’t, but has that ever stopped us before?” He could feel a bruise forming against his skin as he smiled himself, relaxing further into his husband.

“No, but I have things to do, I have a mission to attend to.”

“You’ve got ten minutes before you and Hartford step out on to the field. That’s plenty of time.”

“Xander, we can’t.” John said, trying to push out of Xander’s grip, only to find himself being held tighter. “Xander James Lee-McNamara, I said _no._ ” He repeated, able to push out of his grasp that time, striding over to the mirror in Xander’s lab, moving his hair out the way, scoffing at the mark on his neck. “God _dammit,_ Zee! You know I have to wear my hair up for missions!”

“No, you don’t, you just choose to.” He smirked, crossing his arms, leaning against the walls, raising an eyebrow.

John rolled his eyes and turned back around, moving his hair to cover his neck. “ _You_ are a horny bastard, Xander.”

“As are you, sometimes.” He smiled, staying by the wall, watching John approach him. He didn’t expect John to grab him by the collar and push him against the wall, a snarl on his lips.

“Stay on the comms, keep the radars up, I’ll be back after the mission.” He said before he kissed Xander, much gentler than before. “I love you, and I’ll be home soon.”

“I don’t care how long it takes as long as you get home safe.” Xander smiled through the kiss before John pulled away. “I love you, honey.”

“I love you too.” He kissed Xander a final time before he spun around, striding out the room, keeping his professional guard up. Xander shook his head as he watched, leaving the room to head to the tracking station. He knew John would be okay. John was the best general they had, and Lou was in good hands. After all, she _was_ trained by John.

* * *

John McNamara did _not_ train mentees. He made that very clear to people who wanted him to when he started as a general and people began to see his full potential. Every young kid who wanted him to mentor them, he’d politely decline, but offer advice instead. Yet, although he claimed that he wouldn’t ever train any new agents for PEIP, there was something about Louisiana Hartford that struck him down.

He took her on, and she told him there must have been some mistake. She told John she didn’t find herself worthy of being his mentee. He called bullshit and bought her into the private area of the precinct himself and watched as her eyes widened. He could tell she was different, and it wasn’t very often that his instincts were wrong.

She worked her damn ass off. Maybe it was because she was her boss’ mentee, her boss’ _only_ mentee, but that was something John was unable to decipher. When she completed her training, and John announced that to her, she hugged him tightly. She was shorter, and definitely younger than he was. Her and Benny Slate were 17 when they joined PEIP, directly out of high school, and John didn’t turn them down, instead supporting them. He passed Benny on to a different mentor, who, he didn’t know as he didn’t organise that part of it, but he knew Benny had done well.

They became a part of the force pretty soon after that, and John was extremely proud of Lou. She thanked him privately in his office the same day. He shrugged it off and told her it was fine, which it was, because he’d only given her the correct training. There was a certain sadness behind the young girl’s eyes that John wanted to discover more about, but he figured she’d open up when she was ready and _only_ when she was ready. He wouldn’t push. He dismissed her from his office, she saluted and left, presumably to find Benny, who she’d made a good friend in. The two of them had a lot of bright potential. It was the reason John selected his own mentee to go into the field with him for that specific mission. It wasn’t anything too serious, just something to let Hartford adjust to the field, but she’d accepted it instantly. He knew she’d do amazingly, and even if she didn’t, he’d advise her on how to improve.

* * *

Lou had been excited for this mission ever since John had asked her to join him. She’d be able to prove herself to her own mentor, to prove her worth, but now, on the day of the mission, she felt dread in her stomach. Many questions were racing through her mind. Would she be good enough for John’s standards? Would he see her as a good mentee? Would he allow her to go back on to the field after this one mission? She knew it wasn’t anything big, just clearing up what was left of a “gas leak” which was, in fact, the remains of an encounter with a series of alien hybrids from the weekend that had mostly been covered, but there was still a risk that there could be active weapons left behind.

She hauled herself out of bed, her stomach swirling with nausea and nerves, as she headed over to the door in her knee-length pyjama shirt that she slept in. She brushed her teeth, avoiding looking at herself in the mirror, as she went to change into her uniform. She walked downstairs where she saw Benny, already awake, smiling wide as he spoke to his brother. He grinned and jumped up.

“Good morning, Private Hartford!”

“God, you’re so weird.” She sighed as she walked into the kitchen, where the two had both been previously seated, grabbing an apple. She took a bite and walked back into the living room, ignoring the fact that Benny was following her. “Just call me Lou. You’re not General McNamara.”

“You mean John?” Benny asked, furrowing his eyebrows out of confusion. “When the fuck have you _ever_ called him by his rank?” He couldn’t see, because she had her back turned to him, but she had her eyes squeezed shut tightly and she was biting her lip, almost to keep herself from crying. “Lou? Something’s wrong, you’re quiet.”

“It’s the day of the mission.” She admitted, pushing everything in her backpack aside.

“And you’re worried?” Benny laughed after a little while, not noticing Lou’s posture sinking, and her shoulders shaking as her breathing became stammered. “Lou, you’re amazing at your job! You’ll do fine!”

“It’s not about me doing well on the mission.” She said, blinking back tears to avoid anyone seeing her at her weakness. “I told you what it was about last night, and it _isn’t_ funny.”

Benny walked forward and clapped a hand over her shoulder. “Louisiana Hartford, my best friend,” he said and looked at her, “you’re John’s mentee, his _only_ mentee, d’ya think he’d have chosen to mentor you if he didn’t think he had it in you?”

“Well, no, but-“

“And d’ya think he’d have asked you on this mission if he didn’t think you could complete it?”

“No…”

“And do you think he’d ask you specifically if-“

“I get it, Ben!” She said, pushing his hand off of him. “I get it, I get he believes in me, I get he wanted to mentor me, but I’m scared I’m gonna disappoint him like how I disappointed my mom while she was alive!” She said and closed her eyes again. “You’ll never understand how it feels to be me. I was looking after my grandfather while my mom overdosed in the other room, therefore resulting in her death. The week after, my grandfather died. Dad died when I was three, my remaining grandparents died before I was born, and my fucking drug addict of a mother didn’t care about her own daughter.” She laughed tearfully, zipping her bag up. “It’s only reasonable that the first man I encounter, three years after moving in with me, who treats me like his daughter becomes my father figure, doesn’t it?”

“Ben, I think you should let her be. She’s goin’ through something.” Ben’s brother, George, stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his wrist, but it was pulled away.

“No, I can-“ He sighed frustratedly. “Lou, please, I didn’t mean t’upset you! I’m tryna understand, I really am, but I don’t know what it’s like apart from the fact _my_ parents are dead too but-“

“So please don’t pretend you can, and don’t pretend you can comfort me for my problems when you have no experience in the matter.” She said, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “John means everything to me. He’s not just my boss, not just my mentor, he’s the guy I trust apart from you and George, he’s the guy who helped me find my footing. I want to do one fuckin’ thing right to prove myself to him.” She checked her watch and sighed, throwing her bag on her back. “I’ll see you later, Ben. Maybe.”

“See you later…” Ben said quietly as Lou left the room, walking out of the room.

On the walk over to PEIP, which wasn’t too long, but long enough for Lou to finish her apple, she started wondering if it was too late to back out. She knew she’d have to go on a mission at some point, but maybe she’d prefer to go on one without John. There was a lot of pressure resting on her shoulders right in that moment, and she wanted nothing more than to make her mentor proud. She didn’t feel confident at all, but at least when she reached the precinct she’d already stopped crying. That was an awkward conversation missed.

She walked to her station, she set her bag down with her belongings on her designated quarter of the room just in time for there to be a knock. She looked up to see John standing there, smiling softly. “How are you feeling today, private?” He asked, stepping in. She smiled weakly, facing away from him, fishing her gun out of her bag underneath her spare change of clothes.

“Yeah, I’m good, a little nervous, but good.” She said, her face burning up with guilt.

“That’s normal.” John said, stepping inside, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. “I know you’ll do an _excellent_ job, Hartford, and I mean that sincerely. You were incredible during training, better than Slate, from what I heard. You’re a mighty fine agent.”

She chuckled, not believing him, as she grabbed the gun, placing it in her belt. “Well, I did learn from the best.” She sighed as she stood up, tying her reddish-brown hair up into a high ponytail. “Are we ready to head out?”

“Tell me if we’re ready. Are you fully equipped?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then we’re ready to go. Follow me, I’ll take you down to my car and we’ll go from there.” John said, beckoning for her to follow as he turned on his heel, fixing his hands in a clasp behind his back, keeping his head up, continuing to walk out the room. Lou gulped as she followed, her posture revealing her anxieties better than her face.

They walked through the close-to-blank walls of PEIP before they reached the area John’s car was stationed. He unlocked it and gestured for her to get in the front beside him, which she did. She’d never had the privilege to being in a JEIP before, and she was immediately taken aback. The interior was the same plush black used for the uniform, and the seats were softer than any other she’d been on before. The dashboard was a lighter colour, either a dark grey or a dark shade of blue, but the different rings of light were the brightest blue she’d ever seen. Seeing as it wasn’t just anyone’s JEIP, but it was her general’s, it also had some of his possessions in it. For example, there was a discarded olive-green hoodie in the backseat that was close to falling off the side, and a small image of him and Xander on their recent wedding day taped to the dashboard.

“You _must_ excuse the mess in here, private, it isn’t usually like this.” John sighed, flicking the car into life.

“A mess? There’s like…one hoodie in here.”

“Yes, that’s mine. I was intending to pass it on to Xander once he arrived at work, but you arrived earlier than what I originally anticipated.” He said, tapping on the screen in the car as he drove. “Genny J Mac to HQ, HQ do you copy?”

_“Copy loud and clear, babe!”_

“Be professional, Xander, over the air.” John sighed, shaking his head at his husband, hiding the smile that had appeared on his face.

“ _Yes, my dearest, I’m fully away what I’m saying and doing before you ask.”_ John scoffed at that, but Xander ignored it. _“You’re going to want to head to the west corner of the shut off section. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, there’s a shit ton of pink and yellow liquid on the floor similar to the consistency of blood.”_

“Great.” John huffed. “So, what do we need to be mindful of?”

_“Be mindful of the fact there can still be some of the bastards lying undetected. They’re practically invisible when in contact with brick, but once they attack, the injuries they can offer are similar by pain and looks to a gunshot wound.”_

“So, it’ll be easy to treat?” Lou asked, settling into her chair, relaxing. She knew how bad gunshot wounds could be, and she also knew how to defend herself from one.

_“Unfortunately, Private, it won’t be as easy as we originally thought. With the recent samples I ran through my lab, there are strands of venom in the DNA of the goo in the aliens. The smallest amount can cause death.”_

“Great.” She said and crossed her arms, chewing on her lip. She could die on this mission, and then how would she be able to impress John?

_“The one thing necessary to remember is that if you come into contact with one of the remaining aliens, if there are any at all, don’t panic. They’ll attack you if they feel threatened. If you don’t appear as a threat to them, you’ll be fine.”_

“Got it.” She felt slightly better. As long as she remained calm, she’d be fine. The JEIP stopped eventually and John unbuckled.

“Let’s go clean up the remains of that mess that happened on Sunday, huh? Casey and Jason did a pretty good job of it yesterday, but they were unable to destroy any remaining corpses of the revealed aliens and shit. Let’s go.” John said, clipping in his earpiece. Lou nodded, doing the same, hearing a different voice than Xander’s.

“Ben?” She asked, hearing a sigh through her ear as she climbed out the car.

“ _Okay, you’re okay. I’ve been trying to reach you for a while.”_

“Well, I ain’t talking until I’m back at HQ. See ya.” She said, shutting the car door, grabbing a trash bag from John.

“It truly does have the consistency of blood…” John said, kicking the goop on the ground. “This is attracted to the plastic in the bag. You just need to find an area and put the bag down. The goop will be attracted to it, like a magnet.”

“Got it, sir.” Lou said quietly as she walked around the corner, placing a bag down, watching as the goop on the ground immediately started filling it up. She smiled and chuckled to herself, working on placing more down. She dusted her hands off and went to walk away before she heard a clicking noise. She paused and looked around, thinking it was someone trying to get to the scene, but ended up seeing nothing. She shook her head, going to walk away again when it got louder. She spun around again to see more goop on the floor she knew hadn’t been there before. She furrowed her eyebrows, placing another bag down, about to continue when she turned around to see the culprit.

It was one of those “alien bastards,” as Xander had put it. They didn’t have a name as it was a relatively new species, but it looked something similar to a moth, half of her height, with scales and fangs. The antennae had sharp dagger like ends, and it’s mouth was dripping with the yellow and pink goop. Lou stood still, not panicking, placing her hands up in surrender, just as Ben spoke through her earpiece again.

_“Lou, you’re in danger, you’re cornered-“_

He hadn’t intended to cause any harm, but the fact Lou jumped at the sudden disturbance to her peace was enough to trigger the aliens. They flashed their fangs, and there was more clicking around her before she was filled with pain. She hissed out, grabbing her gun, managing to shoot one down before she fell victim to the stinging. Luckily for her, her mentor caught on quicker and drew his gun, eyeing them all from behind the wall. Shots fired out towards her and she went tense, watching the moth-like creatures screech and evaporate into glowing balls of gold that burst, leaving the corpses of them. However, when some went down, more began to appear, and they were targeting the enemy, which was her.

More pain shot through her body and she knew she was done for. She looked down to see a dark stain on her uniform just below her ribcage. She shut her eyes tight, her heartbeat pounding in her throat, as she had no choice but to listen to the gunshots around her. When the final drop of a corpse of an alien around her was heard, she opened her eyes, seeing her mentor sprinting towards her. He crouched down beside her, lifting her head on to his lap.

“Whatever you’re thinking, you didn’t fail me.” He said, almost as if he could read her mind. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I-“ she started, her voice hoarse from suppressed screaming, “I was calm, I swear, and then Ben was talking to me through my earpiece and I jumped and then I panicked because he said I was cornered and-“

“And they detected your fear, using it to their advantage to stun you.” He said, brushing loose hair away so he could remove her earpiece. “I’ll be having a word with Private Slate once we’re back at HQ. On a pain scale of 1-10, how bad is it?”

“About a 7 right now?” She asked, looking up to him. She watched him take a large breath and nod.

“That’s better than I originally thought. Considering you were stabbed by the antennae multiple times-“

“Multiple?” She asked, her voice suddenly filling with fear. John noticed and lifted her closer to his chest.

“Hey, hey, you’re gonna get through this alive, okay? Just hang on. I know you’re scared; you have every right to be, but you’ll be just fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.” He said and clicked a button in his earpiece. “She’s awake, just in pain. I believe they were juvenile aliens, dear.”

“Who are you talking to?” She asked, quietly, her vision beginning to blur. She gripped a hold of John’s arms tighter, unaware that she was doing so.

“I’m talking to Xander, Louisiana.” He said, looking down at her, his pupils suddenly becoming larger. He clicked a button again. “Get a private medical room set up. She’s getting worse. I’ll be at HQ in 10.”

“Huh?” She asked, but before she could process what was happening, she was being lifted up and they were running back to the JEIP. She cried out in pain as John placed her in the backseat. She watched, shaking, as John clicked a button, a too-realistic version of him and Xander, in hologram form, appearing in the front seats of the car. They were the ones to start driving. John pulled the blinds down, separating the backseat of the car from the front. He pulled Lou back into his lap, holding her head to his chest.

“Hear my heartbeat, Lou? Just focus on that. You’re doing so well.”

“Am I gonna die, John?” She asked nervously, looking up to John who appeared paler, or maybe it was an illusion of the light. “I don’t wanna be with my mom again…don’t let me die.”

John took a few moments to process what she’d said. He understood what it was like to come from a rough background with parents who didn’t want you, and he also knew why a person wouldn’t want to go back. He nodded and looked at her. “I don’t know why you don’t want to go back to your mother, but I will _not_ let you die.”

She nodded and gripped his forearms tighter. “John-“

“What’s going on, honey?” He asked, knowing she wouldn’t remember him softening his tone with her in the future.

“I can’t-ca-can’t stay aw-awa-ake-“ she began to stutter as her eyes rolled back into her head. The world around her became muffled, the last thing she remembered distinctively was John telling her she’d be okay with a worried expression set firm upon his face.

* * *

As soon as the car had stopped driving and their cover went down, he scooped up the unconscious body of his mentor and didn’t hesitate to run inside to the private room Xander had set up. He was there with medical equipment and an antidote on the table beside him. Lou’s blood had seeped out of the denim of the uniform and on to his own body, meaning his uniform would be stained a slight bit too. He unbuttoned her shirt so Xander could get to work in restoring what he could. He sat beside as he watched Xander do things he couldn’t identify due to the lack of knowledge in the medical area. However, he wasn’t an idiot, so when he saw her being hooked up to life support, he knew it was serious.

He watched Xander inject the antidote directly into her open wounds, watching them nearly sizzle shit, leaving small skin-coloured burn marks in their place. In full honesty, he was scared for his mentee. He’d never been in a scenario as severe as the one she’d just been in. He’d had near-death experiences, of course, he’d been in the force for an awfully long time, it was more than expected for him, but she was only a private, and the mission shouldn’t have gone wrong. She’d done nothing wrong, and he wanted her to know that if she woke up. No, _when_ she woke up.

When Xander stopped working on the unconscious figure lay beside him on the bed, he walked round and pulled up a chair, grabbing John’s hand. “Was she okay on her mission aside from…?”

“She was amazing. She did everything right despite her nerves. I understand if this will knock her confidence, but I’ll guide her through that, and I’ll encourage her to get back on the field.”

“Are you aware you’re covered in blood?” Xander raised an eyebrow and John sighed.

“I must be. I had to carry her to the car. I stayed in the back with her. The auto drive feature works amazingly, by the way, dear.”

“Good.” Xander smiled softly, kissing his cheek. “I’ve gotta get back to work, but I’ll ensure Ben knows what happened. He didn’t stop worrying when Hartford’s connection got cut short.” He pecked John’s lips as he stood up, swiping his card against the lock, enabling him to leave.

A short while after, John heard a tired grumble from beside him. He immediately turned his head to see Lou awake, but hardly. He lowered his façade and smiled softly. He wasn’t there to intimidate her. “Where am I?” She asked, trying to move, finding herself unable to very quickly.

“You’re in the medical wing in HQ a few doors down from my office. You were injured on the mission by a series of juvenile aliens. You’re lucky to be alive, Lou.”

“Oh.” She said and looked at him, smiling slightly. “Can I hold your hand?”

John shrugged and smiled, extending his hand, taking hers into his knowing she was too weak to do so herself. “If that’s your request, then I’ll accept.”

“Hey, John?” She asked, seeming to ignore him before.

“Yes, Hartford?”

“Did I make you proud?”

“You made me _very_ proud out on the field today. Any other agent would have freaked out even further than you did, making your injuries and situation worse.”

“Cool.” She smiled wider. “Is Ben okay?”

“Don’t worry about Ben, alright? Focus on your recovery right now. I’ll be by your side for as long as I can be, understood?”

“Yes, thank you.” She said and blinked. “Did I mention my mom?”

John bit the inside of his lip, debating on confessing, but he knew it would be the right thing to do for her. “You did.”

“Oh. Well, I didn’t mean to and you weren’t supposed to find out that my mom is dead.”

“Trust me, it’s okay. My parents are dead too. I feel zero remorse towards them, I didn’t even go to their funerals.”

“Huh.” She snickered. “My parents aren’t all dead. I mean, my biological ones are, but you’re my dad too and-“

That shocked John slightly. He was dumbfounded for a small while before he spoke up again. “You see me as…your _dad?_ ”

“Well, yeah. Because you protect me, and your gentle, and your calm and shit. I genuinely see you as my father figure.”

John nodded, watching her. It was weird to hear himself called “dad” in that context, and not as a joke.

“Hey, dad?” She asked, and John looked up.

“Yes, honey?”

“I’m gonna pass out.”

“That’s okay, you’re safe.”

“Hey, dad?”

“Yes, Lou?”

“I love you.” She smiled, closing her eyes, giving John’s hand a slight squeeze.

He smiled and squeezed her hand back. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> *any member of peip rolling up in their jeips* GET IN LOSER WE'RE GONNA KILL SOME FUCKIN ALIENS
> 
> be respectful in the comments plz and tHANKYOU


End file.
